Corona Virus Treatment

@clanless I think we know that it's seemingly similar, the problem is infection rates are faster, knock on effect means staff shortages in all our emergency services....now that is worrying, especially at this time of year. Less staff means more overworked ones and burn out and mental health issues, our heroes are going to suffer.

 

People in the UK who have Omicron and who are symptomatic - have been reporting symptoms similar to a cold. Which mirrors the reports from South Africa - who are themselves now in week 5 with Omicron being the dominant variant.

There are 2 things here - the views of 'experts' and what's actually happening in real life. The media are concentrating on the former.

I take hospital admissions with a large pinch of salt - the majority of South Africans in hospital with Omicron are there for other non covid related reasons.

IMHO Boris has moved into the 'scaring people' stage - I reckon that the pandemic will fizzle out in February in the UK.

I'm off now for my booster shot .

 

Had mine this morning .

 

Well seeing as Abba aren't going neither will I

 

I know!!

 

Booster jab - very odd - is it me?

Massive queues - but I waited quietly inline.

My turn.

Me - Can you aspirate the needle before injection please

Vaccinator - Don't worry - I make sure all the air is expelled from the needle before injecting

Me - No, I mean insert the needle and pull back to see if you have hit a blood vessel before injecting - to make sure that the vaccine goes into my muscle and not my blood.

Vaccinator - Umm, I'll have to ask the Head Nurse.

2 minutes elapsed

Vaccinator - Head Nurse has said we follow NICE guidelines - they don't require aspiration. I'm not willing to aspirate.

Admin person - We'll make a note on your file that you asked for but were refused aspiration by the Head Nurse.

Me - OK thanks - please go ahead without aspirating then.

Strange that other countries aspirate and that is some parts of the UK vaccinators aspirate.

The Vaccinator gave me a look that said - 'How dare you ask questions - who do you think you are?"

Apparently we are not allowed to ask questions when getting the booster.

 

I'm limbering up for membership of the Grumpty Old Geezers Club

Interesting article in the BMJ - suggesting that it would be a good idea to aspirate:

Inadvertent injection of COVID-19 vaccine into deltoid muscle vasculature may result in vaccine distribution to distance tissues and consequent adverse reactions

Bit that sticks out for me:

It has been recently demonstrated that direct administration of vaccine into—and distribution through systemic circulation may be responsible for platelets-adenoviral vector interaction, platelets aggregation and activation. This may also explain vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopaenia.

Potential cause of AZ blood clots - due to injection into blood stream?

Doesn't take much effort to aspirate - so why take the risk - because NICE says it's OK to take the risk - apparently...

 

Interestingly, my booster jab was just chucked in without any pre- jab sanitising of the skin. With the first two jabs, the vaccinator carefully wiped the skin with a sterilising wipe before pushing the needle in.

Having studied in the same building as lab assistant students and as a person with protruding veins, I have a history of hundreds of needles entering my person. Always, always, the skin has been wiped sterile first, apart from my booster Covid jab and my Flu jab 2 weeks ago.

 

I dont remember anything like sterilising the skin either, my bum hardly touched the seat.

 

My GP sent a text on Friday afternoon saying that due to the need to staff vaccination centres they would in effect be closed with no appointments, face to face or telephone, available until at least 4th January, but would people still keep already booked appointments.

 

Agreed. However I would expect modellers to model what they are asked to model as there are an almost infinite number of possibilities. As for what they model then I'd expect them to look at scenarios where things get worse and require action. If it is less virulent then nothing more needs to be done and this will come out of the figures.
It's a bit like the Russia Ukraine situation where NATO modellers will be working on models where Russia blockades Ukraine or even invades. they will not be spending much (if any) time on the model where all Russian troops return to base on Christmas Eve leaving cheery cards and snowmen behind.
It's like newspapers report more bad then good news.